... AND relax.
If, like me, you struggle to do 'nothing', sit back and enjoy some meditative inspo from La La Land.
Yesterday lunchtime, instead of wolfing down an uninspiring homemade sandwich in front of my laptop (I don't know if you can hear that very tiny violin playing in the background?) I took myself off to a sound bath. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, this is a type of meditation. The word 'bath' is misleading. There is no water involved. It is called that because when you participate, you are essentially 'bathing' in sound waves. Ommmmm, etc.
In short, I took an hour out of my day (in some cultures, I think this is known as a lunch break?!) to lie down on a mat, under a blanket, in a darkened room. I was joined by a bunch of other people doing the same, while a healing practitioner played the kind of instruments you don't hear every day; filling the room with the therapeutic sounds of gongs, singing bowls, chimes and rattles.
The guy leading the meditation started off by asking us to think about what or whom we are #grateful for. I thought of Claudia (you know, my neighbour / guardian angel / honorary member of the Hayes/Nelson family, you may have read about her before?!). Sorry, I mean, obviously, I thought about my miraculous egg donor conceived daughter. Obviously!
But then, well, my thoughts of gratitude... they drifted back to Claudia. Because she invited me to the sound bath. She gave me the gift of an hour lying in a darkened room under a blanket. Now, I love my Baby Shark devoted two-year-old more than life itself but - I repeat - an hour to myself lying in a darkened room under a blanket? Gratitude doesn't even cover it.
I honestly wish I could tell you more about the sound bath but while I was weighing up whether I was more grateful for Maggie or Claudia, I fell into a deep sleep.
I know it's not the point but I don't think I'm very 'good' at meditation. I've dipped into mindfulness apps and taken the odd Zoom class, but I don't think I've ever got out of it what I probably should, or could. Shoulda-woulda-coulda! But it got me thinking about relaxing / chilling / self-care in general. And the importance of taking time for ourselves.
When I think about what I regularly do to relax, I'm ashamed to say I count going to Whole Foods on my own (a rarity as I'm usually bribing the two-year-old with some kind of overpriced organic bullshit she's torn off the shelf). I count folding laundry, because I recently taught myself to do it properly (yes, it's a bit Sleeping With The Enemy chez Nelson these days). And I count taking the dog for a walk, sans child (who am I kidding, that's never been relaxing - sorry Sebastian!)
Note to self: These are chores. This is not how you relax. Going to the sound bath made me realise I never allow myself time for, well, myself.
So in the spirit of gratitude (it is Thanksgiving next week, y'all!), I'm thankful Claudia invited me to the sound bath. Claudia - a poster girl for retirement with a busier schedule than mine - is always inviting me to fun things like gym classes, book launches and the very LA-sounding garden of self-realisation. I usually say no because I'm working or I'm supposed to be working (freelance guilt). But not any more! Not when there's a whole world (well, LA) to explore.
Other than sound baths, what do people in this super charged yet super chilled city do to relax? I did some digging (fine - I texted a few friends) to bring you the most LA things I could find...
They don't just do yoga. They do goat yoga.
I laughed when my friend, Bianca, told me she tried goat yoga. I figured it was a random one-time, pop-up type of event she had stumbled across. But google 'goat yoga', and you'll see it's a whole thing. It even comes up as a search term on Eventbrite. The old goats have been at it for years! It makes sense I suppose. Goats like to climb mountains. Why wouldn't they want to climb on the back of someone in a downward dog pose? So the goats are having fun; the humans - less so. "Honestly, having a goat on your back is more painful than I expected," Bianca told me.
They go for an MRI scan.
I'm half joking here but hear me out. Preventative health screening is huge in LA and everybody is talking about the Prenuvo Whole Body Scan - which detects life-threatening diseases in their very early stages - because Kim Kardashian had one. Now everybody wants one but no one can afford one (welcome to LA, babes!) but that doesn't stop us mere mortals dreaming. The dreamiest part? Lying down for an hour hooked up to your own personal entertainment system. Netflix and chill, LA-style.
They hit the beach.
"The ocean is my zen" is how most of my friends responded when I asked them how they relax. The sand between your toes, the salty sea air, the warm glow of the sun on your face. And it's free! So us Brits like it a lot. But if you want to be really LA, strap some weights to your ankles and plow, sorry, power walk through the sand.
They float underwater.
In the UK, people go wild swimming. In Los Angeles, they take a freezing cold dip in their own sensory deprivation tank. The buzziest place to do this is at Pause Studio, where they call them 'float pods'. It comes highly recommended by Goop, who seem particularly impressed by the parking options. "There’s a small parking lot in the back, plus really easy street parking at night." Float on!
They do pottery.
I haven't done pottery since school, if that even counts. I think the closest I've come to an actual kiln is watching Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze (swoon) in Ghost. But I've always thought it looked relaxing. And its restorative benefits were confirmed to me recently when I met comedian-turned-homewares-guru Seth Rogen for a profile in Mr Porter. He's been making ceramics since 2019 and now has his own brand, Houseplant. He seemed very relaxed. Of course that could have been the weed.
They let someone burp on them.
There's going for a massage. Then there's going to a healer. Then there's going to a healer who burps. Iris Tanz has trademarked the phrase 'Fusion Healing' to incorporate Chinese medicine, somatic acupuncture, bodywork, energy work and channelling to enhance balance, health and wellness. According to her website, that channelling technique "removes pain, trauma, diseases and stagnation through powerful 'burping' healing sounds". I particularly like how she signs off her About page with: "Burp like no one's watching." A woman after my own heart, quite frankly.
Love this Martha. The sound bath sounds great even if it was just an opportunity for some sleep! I went on Emma Gannon’s retreat on Friday and I’m so happy I took time out for myself. I’m now looking for my next ‘me time’ excursion.
And Seth Rogen makes pottery? Who knew...off to explore that now!